There is still Good
by jlcleaumus
Summary: Vignette. Between TESB and ROTJ, Luke Skywalker makes a diplomatic trip to Naboo.


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This is a quick little vignette I wrote in response to a challenge at Please read and review if you get the chance.

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There is Still Good

He dreamt of the sand. He dreamt of the ice. He dreamt of the fire. He dreamt of the darkness.

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Luke Skywalker rested his forearms against the ancient stone balcony and took a deep breath as he stared at the auburn-tinted sunset. The muscles in his neck that had been aching for so long finally seemed to gain a brief hint of relaxation in the presence of his own reflection in the lake below. Insignificant, almost, compared to the gradually darkening mountains that rose before him.

He had never been so alone before. Memories of his childhood with his aunt and uncle were nearly extinct. Luke was a Jedi now, and with the title came vast responsibilities. His best friend Han Solo was in the clutches of the vile Jabba as were his two droids. It was also a practical assumption that the same fate had befallen Leia, for he had not heard from her since she had left on an irrational and ill-advised attempt to rescue Han over two weeks ago.

And yet even now in his loneliness he found a peace he had never experienced before. Perhaps it was that the grueling training he had undergone with Master Yoda were finally showing signs of fruition. Perhaps. But as Luke continued to take in all the sights of the mountains and lakes and smellsof the flowers before him he figured that his tranquillity had more to do with the surrounding environment.

In the long four years since Luke had last stepped on Tatooine he had lost much of the restlessness that had dogged his youth, and in his new perspective he found a new appreciation for the place. Still, Luke knew that he could never love the desert or the sand. Especially the sand.

Luke remembered his first days on Hoth, when he would carouse in the snow without a care for days on end to the amusement of many of his colleagues. But the icy world quickly lost its luster on him. And then there was that time where he had almost frozen to death. Luke swore he would never step foot in snow ever again if he could help it.

Dagobah. Even now in this paradise Luke missed his wise old master, but Yoda was the only thing, living or dead, that he did not despise on that boggy, filthy planet. He knew that a return to the swamp was necessary, and even looked forward to it sometimes if only in anticipation for a few more wise words of counsel or much-needed answers to the questions that pursued and evaded him in his nightmares every night. But Luke knew that before he could indulge himself in answers he had to achieve the imminent tasks before him. There were two best friends he had to rescue.

But first, there was Naboo. Since the abduction of Han Solo Luke had found himself with an ever-increasing political role in the Alliance as Leia strategized endlessly on her now ill fated rescue attempt. He had been instrumental in gathering the fleet that was forming in Sullust for the grand assault on the yet to be completed Death Star. No amount of ships were enough, however, and so it was that Luke Skywalker found himself on Naboo, the final stopover before his imminent return to Tatooine, for a clandestine meeting with its Queen, Kylantha.

Even with such burden in his mind and on his shoulders, Luke knew that he felt good. The landscape around him was so perfect, so natural. Life blossomed everywhere, from the tiniest blades of grass in the plains to the bubbling villages that seemed oblivious to the evils of the Empire. There was no sand or snow to be found, and though a few swamps dotted the land, they did not overwhelm the planet with their overwhelming humidity.

It reminded him of Yavin, possibly. Of those innocent days where a new hope had been blossoming in the air in the aftermath of the destruction of the Death Star. When they were all still together: him, Leia, Han, Chewbacca, and even the droids. Luke envied that blissfully ignorant boy who still thought himself to be the son of a Jedi who had perished in the Clone Wars.

Leia. The moment he stepped foot into the resort on the edge of the lake Luke realized that it was Leia he missed the most. He knew that he loved her. He knew that she loved him. He knew that she loved Han. He also knew that it did not bother him at all. He did not know how to reconcile that anomaly. But Luke did know that he yearned for Leia to be standing beside him as he watched the Shaaks on the other side of the lake grazing peacefully and obliviously in the meadow. He wanted her company, that was true, but more than anything, Luke wanted to share the moment with her, as well as this new inner peace he had just found.

The graceful form of a woman walked up beside him. Her height was short but her gait was regal, though you could barely tell from the plain grey cloak that adorned her. Luke turned around and gave her a courteous bow.

"Queen Kylantha, I am honored that you have agreed to meet with me."

She did not acknowledge his words. "You understand why we have to meet here as opposed to Theed."

"Of course. Word of this meeting must not get out to the Empire." Even as he spoke, Luke's peripheral attention was still focused on the scenery around them. "I do not mind, though. This is a beautiful place."

"Then you must understand why I cannot agree to the Alliance's request for assistance."

"Why," asked Luke in confusion. "Do you really believe the Empire is responsible for all this beauty?"

"No. Naboo has always been a jewel in this galaxy. I only wish to maintain that fact."

"Believe me, your majesty," Luke protested, "the Empire will destroy this jewel the first chance it gets."

"Young fool!" The cloaked queen almost snorted with derision. "Are you really ignorant enough to believe that? The Empire will let us be as long as the Alliance does not interfere."

Temporarily forgetting the beauty around him, Luke stared at the Queen indignantly as she continued to speak.

"You know that the Emperor himself is a native of Naboo, don't you?"

Luke could only shake his head as his mouth found itself suspended in a purgatory of disbelief. Could the Emperor, the nexus of all the evil in the Galaxy, a Sith Lord according to Master Yoda, really have come from such a wonderful planet.

"Palpatine was once our Senator, and believe it or not he was a good man who did a fine job in his office. It was through his and Queen Amidala's leadership that we survived the invasion."

"How could you say that Palpatine is a good man? He and Vader have destroyed entire worlds!"

…_Vader. Vader. Vader. father…_

"They say power corrupts. Palpatine was elected Supreme Chancellor following the Trade Federation invasion, and all that power must have gone to his head during the Clone Wars." The Queen sighed. "Sadly, the age of idealism has died along with Queen Amidala herself."

Kylantha turned her back to Luke and walked towards the edge of the balcony.

"We do what we can to survive, young Luke. Though he is our native son, I do not doubt for a moment that he would hesitate to destroy Naboo if any advantage could be gained from it. And what then? What would happen to our beautiful mountains and lakes? To our kind and hard-working people? It is to them that I dedicated myself to. My only purpose is to keep them safe."

"So you would rather live in constant fear then?"

"Living in fear is preferable to not living at all. There are still good people on this planet, Master Jedi. You said it yourself, that it was a beautiful place. What good would beauty be if it were blasted into oblivion?"

Her speech came to a sudden stop as she turned back and stared at Luke. Through her plain veneer he could discern for the first time two sparkling blue eyes staring back at him. The Queen gave him a polite bow.

"I'm afraid you have overstayed your welcome, Master Skywalker. The longer you stay here the longer you endanger all of us. I pray to the Gods that you will leave us before Lord Vader decides to take another vacation here."

"Vader vacations here?"

She ignored his question.

"Your guide is waiting in the speeder is waiting below. I suggest you find your way back to your ship as soon as possible."

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He tried to meditate on the way back as his guide drove the speeders through the waters and across the plains. He found no answers. Only peace.

As the vehicle came to a stop, Luke opened his eyes and found to his horror that his ship was nowhere in sight. Surveying the scene, Luke realized that he was somewhere on the outskirts of Theed, next to a mausoleum constructed below a waterfall.

They had traversed a great distance on the planet and had outraced the sun itself. Staring into a sunset for the second time that day, Luke looked back at the grinning driver and examined his features for the first time.

"Grand Moff Panaka," he uttered more to himself than to anyone else. Luke moved his hand towards his newly constructed lightsaber.

"No need to do that," the dark-skinned Governor of the Chomell sector ordered almost congenially. "If I wanted to turn you in you would already be at the Imperial Palace in Coruscant by now."

"So why didn't you?" Luke bent his knees in a fighting stance as he still prepared himself to dispatch of the high-ranking Imperial official before him and make his getaway.

"My loyalties my lie with the Empire, but only because my heart lies with Naboo. I only wish to keep my homeland safe."

"That's what I keep hearing today."

The Moff beckoned Luke towards the mausoleum. Like the Queen, he was wearing only a plain grey robe, though around his neck hung a radiant glass sphere bordered by gold rims.

Trusting his feelings, which told him that there was no deception coming from the man, Luke followed the Moff to the front of the mausoleum.

"Padme Naberrie Amidala," Panaka translated the inscription engraved on the unblemished stone face of the monument. "Beloved Queen and Senator."

"That is all it says," asked Luke, looking for more lines of text.

"We the Naboo do not need any other words or pictures else to remember Amidala. I do not wish to exaggerate, but she was literally the greatest individual to ever walk this planet."

"Even more than your Emperor," remarked Luke sarcastically. For the second time of the day Luke found his comments ignored.

"I had the honor of serving in her Royal Guard." Panaka fondled the sphere that hung around his neck. "This medal I received for my service during the Trade Federation invasion."

Luke now found himself facing a Grand Moff staring at him with utmost honesty.

"Millions of people died in that invasion. For all the bravery I and my meager amount of troops possessed, we still came so close to disaster. If it weren't for a young boy that disabled the droid control center…" Panaka stopped.

Luke sensed that the Governor was hiding something. "Go on."

"It is besides the point," spat out Panaka gruffly. "The Empire is far from perfect, young Skywalker. Believe me, I know that more than anything else. I have seen my share of atrocities and wrongs committed, and it still breaks my heart every time I hear of another raid on a planet suspected of insurrections, real or not. But when it comes down to it I made a choice to protect my people, to never let the deadlier parts of our recent history repeat itself, and I will stand by that choice until the day I am judged by some greater force.

"I know that I cannot change your mind just as you cannot change mine, but at least allow me to get across to you the fact that there is still good in the Empire. For every planet that is destroyed, there are hundreds of planets that are kept safe from the divisive wars of barbaric aliens and their droids."

Luke looked around at his surroundings, taking in the fresh smells of the fields, the light breezes of the night, and the soothing rhythms of the waterfalls. They all seemed to be whispering to him…

_ …there is still good…_

_ …there is still good…_

_ …there is still good…_

Naboo, he realized, was the closest thing to heaven that he had seen in his short but well-traveled life. He felt almost at home here, as if he might've lived here all his life. Was it worth it, he asked himself, to preserve this paradise at the expense of other planets?

_ …there is still good…_

_ …there is still good…_

The voice of the wind continued to whisper to him. It sounded less like an angelic breeze now, and more human. The voice reminded him of Leia.

Alderaan. Luke remembered Leia's pain at the destruction of her homeworld, a pain that still lasted to this very day. He remembered her teary descriptions of it, how idyllic it sounded. Perhaps it resembled Naboo. Perhaps it was even more wonderful.

No, Luke decided. No world deserved to be destroyed. And no world would be at such a risk if it weren't for the Empire.

He reviewed in his mind the two people he had met today. They were good people, dimly aware of the evil they served, but too ignorant and fearful to do anything about it. Perhaps they did not even realize the extent of the darkness that was the Empire. It was evident that they did not understand the Force, so they would know nothing of the Dark Side that clouded the entire galaxy, which was a feeling that even he was only beginning to be aware of.

Panaka watched without expression the young Jedi in his deep contemplation. Finally, he interrupted Luke's thoughts.

"Come. I can see you are tired. There is no need to run away. I will find accommodations for you in Theed tonight."

_ …there is still good in him…_

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That night Luke dreamt of the sand. He dreamt of the ice. He dreamt of the fire. He dreamt of the darkness. And he dreamt of a candle burning dimly through the night.


End file.
